


Skins

by dontcare77ghj



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25197289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontcare77ghj/pseuds/dontcare77ghj
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Natasha Romanov (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 67





	Skins

Natasha x reader x Bucky

When a person was born, the name of their soulmate was printed onto their skin. It made new parents relieved to know that their child had a perfect match in the world.

Your parents were not soulmates. Neither had ever met theirs and fell in love with each other. Their union had produced you, and when you were born, you had two names printed onto your skin.

Natalia Romanova and James Barnes.

Triads were not an uncommon occurrence in the world, but not everyone was as accepting of fates design. 

Your father didn’t believe in triads, he thought by having two names you would choose one and abandon the other. As you grew older, it became clear to you your father did not believe in soulmates.

You didn’t like the notion of abandoning one of your soulmates. The idea made you a little sick, to be honest. You thought yourself to be very lucky, you had not one but two soulmates. It wasn’t something everyone could say.

As a child, your only dream was to find the two tattooed on your skin. You had no idea how soon you would be meeting them.

Non-reader POV

The Red Room did not often associate with HYDRA. There was no grudge, just a case of not having the same goals. Today was one of the handfuls of times they had to meet.

“It’s come to our attention that you have something we want.” The HYDRA director said, lounging in his chair.

“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Madame B. mused, staring the man down.

“Natalia Romanova.” He clarified. “And we have James Barnes.”

“You seem to believe that means something to us.” Madame B. smirked. “We don’t encourage soulmates, and we certainly aren’t going to let you take one of our girls.”

“We don’t want to take one of your girls.” The director informed her. “We’ve been having some issues with our boy. He’s not freezing as he used to, and when the asset is awake, it seems to believe it has control.”

“What does my girl have anything to do with your solider?”

“Your girl could help us control him. Allow them to meet, form the bond, and it will serve as a reminder for them to follow commands. In return, we will provide her with extra training.” The director bargained.

“She is already getting the best education she could.” Madame B. scoffed. “What better could you possibly provide?”

“From James Barnes himself. The Winter Soldier.” The man smirked as he spoke the ghost tale’s name.

“This all sounds well and good, but my girl has a third soulmate." 

"As does the asset,” The director assured her. “We’ve already planned for her extraction. She’ll ensure the asset and your girl understand there are consequences. What do you think, Madame? Shall we continue negotiations?”

“Yes. Yes, I do believe we shall.” Madame B. smiled.

Reader POV

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Your mother greeted you that morning with a smile. “Big, big day. You’re eighteen, maybe you’ll meet your soulmates." 

"Soulmate.” Your father cut in from over his newspaper. “You only need one soulmate.”

“Perhaps I’ll never meet either of them. Like the two of you.” You said, sitting at the table.

“Ignore your father. He’s especially cynical before his coffee.” Your mother rolled her eyes.

“And you’re especially bubbly with it.” He muttered.

“Do you have any plans for today, sweetheart?” Your mother asked in a loud tone as she flitted about the small kitchen. 

“Not really.” You admitted, feeling uncomfortable. “I was just going to work on my painting." 

"You should go outside more.” Your father told you gruffly. “You’re so pale, you need more sunlight.”

“Leave her alone, Jack.” Your mother sighed.

“Whatever, Marie.” He said, standing from the table. “I’m going for a smoke.”

“Your father is a difficult man when he wants to be.” Your mother commented.

“Why do you stay with him?” You asked her. “He’s not your soulmate, and half the time he acts like that.”

“It doesn’t matter, I love him, and he loves me. Love is complicated, my darling.” She explained.

“What would you do if you did meet your soulmate?” You quizzed her.

“Talk to them.” Your mother smiled. “I would get to know them, sit with them, and I would explain why I married another.”

“Would you leave dad for them?”

“I don’t know.” She answered. “I truly don’t know.”

You had left the kitchen shortly after your conversation with your mother. Returning to your room, you had fitted in your headphones and drowned out the world.

You weren’t sure how long it had been since you zoned out. The sun had shifted across the room many times by the time you turned off your music.

With your music silenced, you heard screams, crashes, and gunshots coming from downstairs. A part of you wished to run downstairs and fight whatever was attacking your home, but the intelligent part of you won out.

With haste, you rushed towards your desk and shoved the item in front of your door. Barricading yourself in, you rushed for your phone. As several booming thuds hit the door, you dialed 911 with shaking hands.

A shriek left your lips as the door splintered. 

“Hello? My home is being broken into. I live at 890 Real Street. Please hurry, I think my parents are dead.” You said quickly, letting out another scream as your door was thrown open.

You had no weapon, making it very easy for the men to knock the phone out of your hands and push you into the wall.

“Get off me!” You cried, struggling against a burly man. “Please, let me go! Let me go!”

None of the men seemed moved by your pleas as one passed over a rag to the one holding you. You tried to hold your breath as the cloth was placed to your mouth and nose but failed.

The world went dark quickly, and you collapsed into the man’s arms.

With a loud gasp, your body shot upwards as you finally awoke. Your eyes widened as you took in your unfamiliar surroundings, and continued to grow as you noticed people sitting in front of you. In front of you, sat a man, maybe ten years older than yourself, and a girl about your age.

Once they saw you were awake, the girl made to move towards you. Before she could get close to you, you pushed yourself into the corner behind you.

“Vse normal'no. My ne sobirayemsya delat’ tebe bol'no.” The woman said, raising her hands.

“Vy v bezopasnosti s nami.” The man added.

“I, I don’t speak Russian.” You stuttered, praying they could understand. “Please, I don’t know what’s going on. Do either of you speak English?”

“You don’t have to be scared with us.” The woman said in perfect English. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Where am I? Why was I taken?” You asked her.

“Unfortunately, we’re the reason you’re here.” The man sighed, lifting his shirt to reveal your name and Natalia’s.

“James.” You breathed. “I take it, that means you’re Natalia.” You said, turning to the woman.

“I’m sorry.” Natalia apologized. “Neither of us thought they would take you.”

“Where exactly am I?" 

"You’re in Russia. In a HYDRA facility.” James informed you. “I’m sorry, but this is to be your new home.”

Seven years. You had been trapped in this HYDRA facility for seven years.

You had attempted escape three times, and each failed. The results of said attempts were nightmares you did not wish on your worst enemy. 

James lived in the compound but was often out on missions or frozen for months at a time. Collectively you had spent two months with him per year.

Natalia, on the other hand, was stationed in a place she called the Red Room. She told you, you were her reward. If she did well during the week, she was allowed to see you for a handful of hours during the weekend.

For the first few months, you had been terrified. You barely spoke to anyone, let alone your soulmates, and you were too scared to sleep. You overheard some of the soldiers talking, telling each other the director was mad at the lack of bonding between the three of you.

After your fourth month in the compound, you had been dragged out of your room and into another room. A place you would call hell.

It felt like a decade had passed when the torture stopped. You were barely conscious when James lifted you into his arms and took you back to your room.

Imprinting is what Natalia called it. They thought by hurting you and having Natalia and James fix you up, you would turn to them and eventually garner feelings for them.

The three of you had a real conversation that night. They explained their lives or revealed what little they were allowed to. You spoke of your previous existence, a lump in your throat the whole time. The two were allowed to stay much longer than they had in past months, and you felt you finally knew who your soulmates were.

Seven years later, you were still trapped. Still locked away, under a much stricter lock and key than at your arrival, in this hell hole. 

“Look who’s awake,” Natalia said, entering your cell, pulling James behind her.

“You’re back.” You sighed happily, jumping from the bed and throwing your arms around him as the door closed.

“I’m back, kotenok.” He confirmed, tightening his arms around you.

“If you’re back, that means you’re going on a mission.” You said as the two of you pulled apart.

“Both of us are,” Natalia said, sitting on the small bed. “We’re going on a mission the day after tomorrow.”

“They’ve never let the two of you on missions together.” You commented. 

“We were surprised too.” James nodded. “But orders are orders, and we do what we’re told.”

“You don’t need to tell me that, James.” You said. “I’m well aware of how orders work around here.”

“Sorry, kotenok,” James said, looking away from you. 

“No, I’m sorry, that was rude.” You apologized, squeezing his hand. “You don’t deserve that.”

“Are you okay, kisa?” Natalia asked you. “You seem on edge.”

“I got new guards today.” You admitted, not looking at either of them. “They just put me on edge.”

“Did they do something to you?” James questioned you, lifting your chin.

“No, they didn’t do anything.” You mumbled.

“We’ve spent too long together for that to fool either of us.” Natalia snorted. “What did they do?”

“They actually do anything.” You insisted. “One made a couple comments about taking me off your hands, and the other is very dedicated to HYDRA. A little bit too much.”

“I’ll kill him,” James growled. 

“No, you can’t.” You told him. “If either of you does anything, you’re going to get punished. They’re going to hurt you, I’ll be fine. I don’t see people often, I won’t have to see them.”

“I should gut him. Give me the name of the one who said it.” Natalia demanded.

“Nat, I don’t know his name. It’s fine. All the guards know not to touch me. They just like their little jokes.” You rolled your eyes, sitting on the bed with her.

“It’s because they all sit watching us through the camera,” James grumbled, standing in front of the two of you. Blocking the camera from seeing the two of you.

“Will I get to see you when you come back?” You asked, looking between the two.

“Hopefully.” Natalia smiled. “But even we’re not sure when we’ll be back.”

“What she means is we’re not sure if I’ll be put back in the freezer.” He said.

“You’re never going to let the freezer thing go, are you?” You asked, managing a weak smile.

“Probably not.” Natalia smiled. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve been 

given permission to stay at the base overnight.”

“Really?” You asked, eyebrows raising in surprise.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I have to train with J in the morning, so it was decided it was easier for me to stay the night.”

“And we were informed that they want our bond to strengthen further, so we’re allowed to stay in here tonight,” James said, stepping forward and taking one of yours and Natalia’s hands.

“So, they want us to try again?” You stuttered, swallowing against the lump in your throat.

There were many reasons you had been brought into the HYDRA compound. To control James, join them with the Red Room, and produce the future of HYDRA.

They wanted you to breed with James.

It wasn’t until you were twenty that this became an idea. The three of you had strengthed the bond, and it suddenly gave the handler ideas. 

Seven years they’d forced the idea of breeding, and for seven years, it had failed. So far, there was no possibility of children. Something you were incredibly grateful for.

“Yes, that was the implication,” James said, not looking at you.

“I love that my one act of defiance is not giving these assholes any children.” You chuckled without humor.

“You shouldn’t have been brought here,” Natalia said, taking your hand. “You should’ve been allowed to live a life, get married to someone else, be with your family, anything just not this.”

“I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t want to be here.” You started, looking at her. “I’ve never wanted to be here, but I wouldn’t go back. I couldn’t go back. I wasn’t happy before, I’m still not a hundred percent satisfied, but the two of you are my saving light.” You told them.

“You’re too sweet, kotenok,” James said with a small smile.

“Too sweet for your own good,” Natalia added, squeezing your hand three times in quick succession.

Natalia and James were very shut off people because of what they’d had to do in life. The words ‘I love you’ did not come naturally to them, resulting in the three of you coming up with the hand squeezing to substitute it.

Squeezing both their hands, you pulled James onto the bed with you and Natalia.

Few words were exchanged that night as the three of you laid in your small bed. The times you were allowed to all spend together were few and far between. Instead of worrying when you would all see each other again, you were simply enjoying the time. Enjoying the comfort, you all brought each other.

“I have news from the lab.” A dark-haired guard said as he entered your cell. “Unfortunately, you’re not pregnant.”

“Right then.” You nodded, staring at the wall. Natalia and James had been gone for two weeks, and you were slowly losing it.

“You don’t seem to understand how important it is for you to be pregnant.” The guard growled, moving towards you. 

“I probably don’t.” You rolled your eyes.

“You are weakening HYDRA.” The man snarled. “You are turning our soldier soft! You are not producing our next super-soldiers! Weakening us from the inside out. Are you committed to HYDRA?" 

"Not particularly.” You said, narrowing your eyes at him. “You kidnapped me, and murdered my family. I’m not exactly your number one advocate.”

“HYDRA will one day establish a new world order. And we will do that with the asset and the Black Widow. We do not need you.” He said as he advanced towards you.

You attempted to dodge the man but were grabbed by the back of the neck. A cry left your mouth as the man’s gun was brought down upon your temple until you blacked out.

The next few hours were a haze. You could briefly remember the man taking a scalpel to your soul marks, slicing the skin off your forearm only for their names to reappear. They would appear with burning pain on different parts of your body every time he would attempt to erase their names.

You could remember the man throwing the scalpel down in a fit of rage. Screaming at you and nothing in German.

The last thing you could clearly make out was the man taking you into his arms and sneaking you towards the cryotubes.

“They’ll kill you.” You weakly snapped as he locked you in the tube. “They’ll make it hurt.”

“They’re not going to do anything to me. You died of natural causes.” He smirked, before setting the machine. 

You raised a hand to the small window, and the world froze, leaving you in the dark for years to come.

Non-reader POV

Natalia and James never returned to the bunker. They overheard a conversation between two of the men with them, detailing the death of their Y/N.

Anyone who came across them in the next three days could only describe them in two ways. Robotic and bloodthirsty.

It was a miracle when they didn’t kill Clint Barton on sight. The things he said on that mission, things about choice, making their own way, leaving their own marks, had resonated with things Y/N had said.

With one look, Natalia and James knew they were both thinking the same thing.

It had been three years since their defections from HYDRA and the Red Room. Three years since the death of Y/N, and the shattering of James’ brainwashing. 

The two had joined the SHIELD first and then later the Avengers. Steve and Clint were the only two on the team to know of the two’s shared soulmate. Though they suspected Fury and Wanda knew.

There was one day a year Natasha and Bucky asked for the team to leave them alone. Y/N’s birthday. They asked for no contact with anyone so they could grieve privately for the loss of Y/N. 

This year, they couldn’t seem to respect their wishes.

“I know it’s your day off, but you’re needed,” Clint said, standing by the doorway.

“Unless the world is being invaded by aliens again, I think you can handle it,” Bucky said, running his fingers down Natasha’s back.

“Okay, let me rephrase this. There’s someone you need to see." 

"Who?” Natasha asked, trying not to purr at the feeling of Bucky’s fingers on her skin.

“He works for HYDRA. Fury brought him in, and he keeps mentioning the two of you.” Clint explained.

“Everyone in HYDRA knows us, Clint.” Natasha pointed out. “It’s not a new thing.”

“He also brought up Y/N,” Clint said, causing the two soulmates to freeze. “Steve’s got the team handled for now, but this guy seems to know a lot about her.”

“Take me to him,” Natasha demanded, rising to her feet. Her face was hard, and her gaze rivaled Medusa’s at that moment.

Clint did not say anything as he led both the soulmates to the tower’s holding area. Bucky and Natasha were clutching each other’s hands as they stared into the one-way glass.

“Do you know him?” Steve asked, approaching the trio.

“Unfortunately.” Natasha deadpanned before entering the room, Bucky right behind her. “I should have killed you three years ago.”

“We all know you were in too deep for that.” The man said, smirking at the two. 

“Lucky for me, I’m not in deep anymore,” Natasha smirked, circling behind the man, and slamming his head into the steel table.

Bucky smiled as the man cried out. His face covered in blood, dripping from his clearly broken nose.

“You are the reason our soulmate is dead. I know it.” Natasha snarled, tightening her grip on his hair.

“I didn’t kill her!" The man exclaimed.

"Don’t play dumb, Gideon,” Bucky growled, stepping closer. Gideon’s eyes widened as he noticed Bucky’s mechanical arm shifting. “You were her guard. You were the one who reported it. There is no-one else who could have done it!” He said, slamming his fist into the table.

“I’m not lying, she’s not dead!” Gideon stated, flinching at the loud noise.

“Bullshit!” Natasha yelled, slamming his head into the table again.

“She’s not! I swear! She’s alive! In cryostasis!” Gideon cried out, spitting out blood in his mouth.

Both Natasha and Bucky froze at the statement.

“Explain,” Bucky growled.

“She was ruining HYDRA. She wasn’t pregnant, and she was weakening you. She had to go. I tried to cut her marks out, attempted to bleed her out, but she kept healing. Her marks kept reappearing.” Gideon stammered.

“She was injected with serums like mine. You should’ve known that.” Bucky snarled, seeing red at what he was hearing.

“I didn’t, I swear! And when she wasn’t dying, I got scared! If anyone found out, I would be killed. I panicked, and I threw her into a cryo chamber! No-one ever found her!" 

"You son of a bitch,” Natasha gnarled, letting go of him and stepping towards Bucky. “She’s still there?” Natasha confirmed.

“Yes! Yes, she’s still there.” Gideon nodded.

“You better pray she’s still there and alive,” Bucky said. “Otherwise, you’ll pray for death.” He chuckled darkly.

“Oh no, you’re going to pray for death.” Natasha corrected. “You’re going to pray for a swift death as you’re choking on your blood. You’re going to pray as we burn you alive.” She smirked as the man paled.

Bucky took her hand and led the woman out of the room. Stepping into the corridor, they saw the team waiting for them.

“Someone deal with the piece of shit in there,” Natasha said, moving past everyone.

“Do you want to explain what that was in there?” Tony asked, following after the two.

“That, was well deserved,” Natasha said, not looking at the man.

“Dammit, Nat.” Tony cursed, managing to stop the two. “Who is Y/N?”

“Our soulmate,” Bucky told him. “Someone who we thought was dead because of that scum in there.”

“Are you going after her?” Tony asked, despite knowing how dumb the question was.

“Yes.” Both responded in unison.

“You’re going to need help,” Steve stated, coming up behind Tony with the rest of the team. “You can’t go running into a HYDRA base without backup.”

“We’re not going to force anyone to come,” Natasha said. "If anyone wants to come suit up and meet us at the jet in ten.“ She told them before she and Bucky walked to the elevator.

"Nat, I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s not okay. I can’t go through that again.” Bucky murmured as they suited up.

“She’ll be okay,” Natasha assured him, taking his hand and squeezing it thrice. “She has to be.”

She had to be. If she wasn’t, the world would burn in the wake of their despair.

“Is there a plan here? Or are we just going in, guns blazing?” Tony questioned as the jet neared the drop zone.

“Kill anyone who gets in the way, get Y/N, and get out,” Bucky stated, strapping multiple guns to his form. 

“I’m coming with you,” Bruce said to the soulmates. “I highly doubt he treated your soulmate or set the chamber correctly. You’ll need help.” He told them, grabbing a medical kit.

“Agreed.” Bucky nodded.

“I’ll come with you to cover Bruce,” Clint said, putting two sheaths of arrows on his back.

“Thank you, Clint." Natasha gave him a small smile.

"Alright, we’ve got ten minutes. Make sure you’ve got everything you need, there’s no information as to whether or not this place is still running.” Steve said. Everyone nodded before scattering in the jet, preparing for the fight.

“Nat, can I ask you something?” Clint murmured, standing next to Natasha as she checked over her widow bites.

Natasha gave him a quick nod.

“What did Bucky mean when he said Y/N was injected with the serum?”

“She was injected with the serum.” Natasha shrugged. “It was a punishment for the three of us not attempting to bond during her first months there. She was tortured, and they wanted to see how we’d each react to her being injected.”

“All because you didn’t bond the way they wanted?” Clint asked, raising a brow.

“She wouldn’t even talk to us during those first few months. I don’t blame her. HYDRA had killed her parents and snatched her out of her life. But we had seven years together, I would burn the world if she asked and it would make her smile. I would do anything she asked if it meant I got to see her smile again.” Natasha told him.

“You’ll get her back,” Clint assured her. “The two of you will get her back.”

“Thank you, Clint.” Natasha smiled.

“We’re here,” Steve announced. 

It was time. It was time for Natasha and Bucky to get their girl back.

The base had not been empty. It had been as full as Natasha and Bucky remembered it to be three years ago. Steve had led the rest of the team in a fight against the agents as Natasha, Bucky, Bruce, and Clint snuck in.

“This way,” Bucky said, moving down a corridor. The HYDRA headquarters was a labyrinth of hallways. Twists and turns, and dead ends littered the base, but Bucky and Natasha knew them all.

The path to the basement was a familiar one, to Natasha especially. She would always be asked to collect Bucky after he had been frozen.

“He said she’d be in one of the last ones,” Natasha said as they entered a room filled with cryotubes.

Clint and Bruce nodded at her words before they split into their own corners.

“I found her!” Bruce called. Natasha and Bucky were by his side before he could blink.

“What do the stats say?” Bucky asked Bruce as Natasha raced towards the tube. “Can we get her out?”

“Yes, but these scans are all over the place. Some wounds were pouring blood when Y/N was put in here. Even if she was given a version of the serum, she’s still human. We’re going to need to be ready to close the wounds the best we can.” Bruce said to him.

“We’ll be able to heal her?” Natasha asked the scientist.

“As best we can.” Bruce nodded. “We’ll have to take her to medical, so they can fix what we’ve done, but it should keep her stable.”

“Make it work, Bruce,” Natasha said, stepping away from the tube. Bruce began setting up a makeshift medical station and informed everyone as to what they would have to do when they released Y/N from her cell.

“Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three." Bruce said, before opening the tube. Bucky grabbed the woman gently before she could hit the ground and laid her on the floor. Natasha and Clint used rags on her wounds, which began bleeding as she thawed out.

Bruce quickly began stitching up the wounds, flinching at the patches where the skin had been flayed off.

Bruce had closed two of the wounds when suddenly, Y/N’s eyes snapped open, and she jolted upright.

"Y/N!”

Y/N had passed out almost as soon as she awoke. Bruce had quickly closed her open wounds, and Natasha and Bucky were able to get her onto the jet.

Y/N had been unconscious for three days now. Bucky and Natasha had not left her side once, despite the multiple attempts for Steve.

“YA obespokoyen.” Natasha murmured to Bucky. “Ona do sikh por ne prosnulas’.” Bucky knew she must be incredibly tired to slip back into Russian.

“She’ll wake up, I know she will.” He told her, taking her free hand.

“No chto, yesli ona etogo ne sdelayet?” Natasha asked him. “YA ne mogu snova yeye poteryat’.”

“Natasha, she will pull through,” Bucky said, looking her in the eyes. “YA tebya lyublyu.” He said, squeezing her hand thrice.

“YA tozhe tebya lyublyu.” She smiled, leaning over to kiss him.

“I still don’t understand Russian.” A croaky voice said, garnering a gasp from Natasha. As she and Bucky turned around, smiles crossed both their faces as they saw hazy E/C staring at them. “I should probably start learning.”

“You probably should.” Natasha smiled as her eyes began to water. 

Both Natasha and Bucky allowed their tears to flow as Y/N weakly squeezed their hands three times.

Reader POV

“You’re beautiful, kotenok.” Bucky hummed, trailing his lips down your exposed skin. A year of physical healing had done you well. Your body had healed from the years of torment at the hands of HYDRA though, there were still scars that lingered.

Particularly the scars from where the skin was removed from your body. Those scars never seemed to fade in color, remaining a bright shade of pink a year later.

But it didn’t matter to you. After all this time, you were free. You were free and you had both your soulmates at your side. Your father would be rolling in his grave.

“And you’re a charmer.” You smiled, moving your neck to give him more access.

“He’s always been like that.” Natasha smirked, running her hands down your form. “But it really comes out in the morning.”

“So does his accent.” You smiled, leaning up to kiss the woman. “So does yours. They’re sexy.”

“Good to know, doll.” Bucky drawled, pulling you closer. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“As will I.” Natasha said, curling up under your chin. 

The three of you laid in the large bed for hours. The sun was high in the sky before you decided to move. And as you all dressed for breakfast, a smile was welcomed to your face at the sight of your name on your soulmates skins. And the sight of theirs on yours.

It was all you needed.


End file.
